


It's Alright if We're All Together

by Typhemoonrise



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Gift, I'm not sure about smut yet, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Little smatters of Angst, M/M, Mentions of Sexual Assault (Failed), Mostly Fluff, Pack Dynamics, Packmates to Lovers, Worldbuilding, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-30 13:34:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13952658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typhemoonrise/pseuds/Typhemoonrise
Summary: Mama?Yes, child?What's a pack?Well, little one, a pack is something you have to find. It's more than a family, more than friends, closer than anything you could ever imagine. Packs, little one, are rare. Some say that packs are destined to be made before the individuals in the machine are ever really born. That even before they become a pack, they're just a shell of themselves. They need each other like people need water or food. They are like... cloth. You can't make clothing if you only have a few strings. To function, they need all of them, interwoven and interconnected. They need each other.Mama?Yes, my precious one?I'm gonna have a pack one day. And I'm going to protect them.Look carefully, my little one, for the smallest thing can bring a pack together, even with individuals you've known your whole life. Events, memories, a death, a life, or even a new arrival...





	1. Anemone

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So, this is a gift for one of my amazing friends! It comes with a mood board so here's the link on Tumblr:
> 
>  
> 
> But, to my friend! Ari, I am so, so, so sorry. I know I'm so late, but I wanted this story to be the best it could be! You deserved that much! I had more time for the other fic, (and I know this isn't an excuse) but this came super last minute. But I'm extremely proud of how it's turning out, and I hope you will be too! I already have a plot and everything! (Plus, things have been SO hectic lately! Like, what is up with people? Is it the weather? Is it Michigan? I'll never know.) 
> 
> So here this is! I hope you like it!

It was raining quite hard when they found him. He struggled against iron-cast grips and slicing grins, eating into his reason.

“ _ No! Don’t touch me!” _ Tooru screamed, struggling against his attackers. He grouped the grass behind him frantically, before bringing a rock down on the woman’s skull in front of him. She staggered away for a moment, leaving him room to bolt. He bit his lip before shifting, bones cracking and adjusting into the small form.  _ I know it’s a risky move because they might shift too, but I’m faster in my animal form,  _ he thought, racing nimbly over the green landscape, the chitters of smaller mammals and insects and the fresh scent of water becoming more apparent even through the rain to his heightened senses. 

He takes a small detour towards the smell of the river, and finds a small stream, surface rippling constantly from the growing torrent of rain. He prances through the water for a moment, trying to get rid of his scent. He glances at his form in his reflection of the dark water - a lithe, beautiful frost-white artic fox, shining under the glow of the full moon through the storm. Scoffing slightly, he pulls himself on the blank of the stream and shakes away the water. He doesn’t bother glancing at his reflection again and pads away, knowing that what waits for him at home is far worse than the danger he just escaped. 

  
  


He doesn’t bother coming in through the front door. It’s dark out and he’s way past missing curfew; his parents have locked the doors. He slips under the fence and shifts, shuddering at the difference in his form, shaking to get reacquainted with his human body. He scales the side of the house, making use of the claws that sheathe from his fingertips, ignoring the cold the rain batters on his skin and praying that none of the neighbors see him. He hoists himself up on the railing (narrowly avoiding his skin being torn by a loose nail) and jiggles his window.  _ They’ve definitely locked it, but what they don’t know is that it’s loose _ , Tooru hums when the lock gives, only aided by rotting wood and hard pelts of icy water, and pulls the pane of glass open, hoping his parents weren’t awoken by and noise. For humans, they had very strong senses of hearing. 

He enters the space lightly, taking care to make absolutely no noise as he treaded through his room, packing his things.  _ Okay, suitcase? Closet.  _ He gently pulls it down from the top shelf of his cabinet and sets it on his bed, also retrieving his backpack after a moment's thought. He starts with four or five pairs of clothes, including a couple sweaters in his suitcase.  _ I’ll grab my sneakers when I go, where is my rabbit? _ He spots the plushie on his desk chair, and carefully puts it in his backpack. He throws a brush, a toothbrush, several books (English classics, like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, and Oliver Twist among them), his astronomy textbook and star/constellation guide (even though he knows them by heart) , a really cool spyglass he bought online a while back, his MP3 and headphones, a speaker, his laptop and charger, his water bottle, and finally a small iron switchblade with a black handle, tucked into the waistband of his jeans. 

Tugging his phone and charger from the wall (glad his parents didn’t confiscate it) he powers on the phone, shoving his charger into his backpack. Even though he probably won’t need it. He opens up his contacts and scrolls through them leisurely, as if he’s calling in the middle of the day for a nice chat instead of at four o'clock in the morning to help him escape a bad situation before it starts. He taps on a name and presses the phone to his ear, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen to write his parents a note while it rings. It rings exactly five times before his sister picks up.

“ _ What the fuck, Tooru? Do you know what time it is? If your stupid call woke up the baby, I swear-”  _ she begins to rant, and Tooru tenses at the aggressive tone, sensitive to pretty much everything at that point.

“I turned eighteen,” Tooru whispers breathlessly into the phone, fingers shaking slightly as he glances at the soft, fluffy, and bright snow-white tail twitching back and forth slightly in the mirror. This makes his sister fall silent. 

“ _...And? _ ” she said, and Tooru could make out her sitting up in bed, and her husband asking what was wrong. It took him everything he had not to break down in tears, nearly drawing blood with how hard he was biting his lip.

“I’m a shifter,” he manages to choke out, pressing a hand to his mouth to cover up a sob. 

“ _ Shit _ ,” his sister mutters, and Tooru can hear her get out of bed and pad away, clothes rustling slightly,”  _ What can I do for you? Are you going to the sanctuary? I’ll come pick you up _ .” Tooru feels a rush of gratefulness for his elder sister, knowing she would help him made him feel a lot better. 

“Yeah,” he whispers, glancing at the door and angling his ears to check for his mother’s soft breathing and his father snores while zipping up his suitcase,” Not like I can do anything else.” 

“ _ I’m sorry baby, _ ” His sister coos into the phone,”  _ I wish there was more I could do. _ ”

“Just keep in touch, okay? I’ll send letters. I’m going downstairs.” Tooru kept his ears trained on the couple sleeping in the other room, as he opened his door (swinging it fast, because it creaked when he opened it slow) and making his way downstairs. With his backpack and suitcase in hand, he took the quietest route down the steps knowing which ones to avoid. He slipped into the hallways with his newfound night vision, seeing everything clearly. He found both pairs of tennis shoes and shoved them into his bag, zipping that up as well. He unlocked the door slowly, making sure to make his escape was silent. Closing the door behind him, he refused to look back, glad that the torrent softened the sound of his footsteps.

“I’ll be at the kobani by their house,” Tooru hung up the phone and started down the street. 

  
  


An hour later, his sister’s car pulled up and Tooru looked up from his position on the curb, practically frozen stiff from the rain at this point, but still smiling as he watched the window roll down. 

“Hey,” Maiko’s eye’s crinkled the same way as Tooru’s when she smiled, and he thought of the afternoon sunset in the dreariness of the day,” You okay?” Tooru shrugged, going around to the left side to pull open the door and climb into the cherry red SUV her husband bought for her so she could cart Takeru and the baby around. 

“As okay as I can be,” Tooru said calmly, setting his bags in the back of the car, settling into his seat and trying not to drip everywhere,” I think I’m just in shock. I’ll start freaking out on the drive, most likely. And… we all kind of knew this was coming. Well, not mom and dad. You know them, they probably turned a blind eye to all the signs. But… I’ve always been different from all of you.” Tooru rested his forehead on the cool window eyes surveying the fluffy snow that remind him of his new tail the only thing that managed to dry in his time under the bus stop shelter. 

“I can’t believe you have a tail now, like what?” Maiko glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and reaching out a hand as if she wanted to touch it. Tooru smiled slightly, leaning back and laying the absurdly fluffy thing on her lap. She squealed with delight and ran her fingers through it. 

“Oh! It’s so soft!” she giggles, and Tooru huffs fondly trying not (and most likely failing) to let it show on his face. Maiko glances at him and smiles uncertainty, eyebrows and nose wrinkling in confusion slightly. Tooru laughs slightly, then is sobered by the thought that this is most likely the last time he’ll see his sister in person. 

“What’s wrong?” Maiko asks, giving his tail a squeeze, and Tooru thinks she should probably have both of her hands on the wheel while she’s driving. He shakes his head, and looks out the window, angling his ears to listen to the soft patters of her heartbeat that matched the steady droplets on the window pane. 

  
  


“Is that it?” Tooru looked anxiously out the window, turning down the music - even more than it already was because he had a headache from sound sensitivity - to the point that it was basically off, and Maiko nodded. 

“At least, that’s what the GPS says, and we all know the GPS is never wrong,” she joked, mirrored sunglasses glinting in the morning sunlight; the storm had cleared out maybe an hour before, moving on to scream down upon other victims and leaving them behind. Tooru snorted, covering up his nervousness. She pulled the car over when she got closer, the treeline looking over them ominously, the road simply ending at it. 

“Do you want me to go with you?” she asks, looking into his eyes and searching for fear. But Tooru had gotten good at hiding his fear- weakness mustn't be excused. 

“Nope,” he grins at her as he pops the ‘p’ and pulls his bag and suitcase from the back,” I’ve got this.” 

“I love you, okay?” Maiko reaches out for a hug and Tooru meets her in the middle, nosing into her skin softly, and he knows his hands are betraying him (clasped tightly, hanging on for dear life) but Maiko chooses to ignore it, and Tooru is so grateful for her. 

“I love you too,” and he knows he’s crying, but he just holds on tighter. 

  
  



	2. Iris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello,” Akaashi smiled, soft yet sharp; waiting for an opportunity to sink in his teeth,” I’m Akaashi Keiji. Welcome to your new home. I have the perfect place for you to settle in.”
> 
>  
> 
> _After all, an owl is a bird of prey. ___

Tooru looks back this time, as her car drives away, trying to dispel the ache in his heart before turning to the daunting task ahead.  _ There should be guards, _ Tooru remembers from the description online,  _ I should be able to ask for sanctuary from them. _ He troops forward and the air becomes steadily heavier with a wild scent; though it was still thick with the scent of damp earth and rain.

“Who are you?” Tooru whirls around at the sudden question, trying to spot who asked the question, to no avail. He purses his lips and backs up against a tree, glancing up to make sure no one is above him. He sniffs the air slightly, and he can tell someone is there, but he can’t pinpoint  _ where. _

“Oikawa Tooru,” he scans the forest around him for threats, every muscle tensed in preparation to fight.

“Why so tense?” the voice laughs, and this time Tooru can tell it’s male- and young. He looks up, knowing he’s not going to find him on the ground. Sure enough, he spots a sleek, jet black tail through a canopy of leaves, flicking slightly. 

“I’ve had to fight people off once,” Tooru frowns, examining the tree for anymore defining features of the man,” and I’m not afraid to do it again.” The man chuckles, and jumps down from the tree, greeting Tooru with a faceful of black bedhead, pale skin, and gold eyes like yellow fire, not so different from the light of the sun on the days where he lays by the riverbank and basks in the reflection and warmth, as well as a noseful of a heavy, aggressive scent- though more muted than the ones that attacked him. Almost like the scent of burning wood that demands your attention, like the days Tooru spent in the darkness, fighting it with a small light that was all his own. A closer inspection leads Tooru to a pair of cat-like ears hidden in his awful hair, and a dagger at his hip. 

“Don’t tease him, Kuro,” another voice says, (male, young, much quieter) just as the male opens his mouth. He frowns and looks to his right. Tooru does as well. It’s a smaller man with horrible overgrowth, sharp amber eyes that make Tooru think of the day he watched a butterfly die; its wings and body slowly sinking through thick amber, encasing it in a beautiful tomb. His scent is much softer; far more soothing to Tooru than any he’s encountered so far. It smelled like the lavender bush he would take a whiff of on the way home from school, the sky a muted sunset behind him; it reminded him of the linen sheets he would hang up to dry in the backyard on the drying lines as they sifted in the soft wind on a warm summer’s evening.

“That idiot is Kuroo Tetsurou,” the boy smiles at him, and Tooru relaxes minutely, assured that they (or at least the smaller boy) meant him no harm,” I’m Kozume Kenma. Everyone calls me Kenma.” Tooru nods, inching closer to the faux-blonde slightly. Kenma looks at him worriedly. 

“You smell like alpha? But you’re an omega… were the people who attacked you alpha?” Kenma’s eyes widen slightly at the realization, and Tooru trembles. He’s not sure what ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’ mean, but he has a pretty good idea of where it applies. He nods faintly, and Kenma hisses. 

“Who would do something like that? Are you okay? Did they touch you?” Kenma’s quiet demeanor falls away slightly as the omega frets over him, but hovers slightly, unsure if he’s allowed to touch him. Tooru shakes his head, grabbing Kenma’s sleeve and glancing at Kuroo, who’s leaning against a tree, quietly seething. 

“What the fuck kind of bastards do you have to be to attack an unguarded, untrained omega?” he himself hisses, crossing his arms out of anger. 

“I don’t know,” Kenma frowns, swiping Tooru’s bangs out of his face and checking his temperature,” Are you calling sanctuary, Oikawa?” Tooru only nods, too busy shaking at the touch to give a verbal response. Kenma hums, dainty fingers encircling his wrist and tugging. 

“Let’s go then,” he trods further into the forest, pulling Tooru with him,” I’ll be back in a second.” 

“Right,” Kuroo calls back absentmindedly, hopping onto a low branch and stretching back with a frown. 

  
  


As Tooru walks, he can feel eyes on him. Some, he sees (in fleeting glimpses), others he doesn’t. It makes him uneasy, having his back unguarded, but he trusts Kenma for some reason. When they get to a rocky enclosure, a huge building is built into the side of the cliff, almost five stories high and expanding on the whole side of the rocky crescent walls. 

“This doubles as the hospital and the records building,” Kenma murmurs to him as they walk in looking around as if on the lookout for something (or someone) specific,” I’m going to have to drop you off because I’m on border duty today. I’ll hand you off to Suga though; he’s the sweetest, the best omegan doctor we have. You’ll be okay.” Tooru purses his lips in discomfort but chooses not to protest. 

“Kenma! Sweetheart, I thought you were-  _ oh _ ,” a silvery blonde stops and looks at Tooru, his smile becoming even wider at the sight of him; Kenma was right, Tooru felt absolutely no need to worry in the hazel-eyed man’s presence. His scent was sweet and inviting, reminding Tooru of days he would bake sweets for fun in the kitchen when he wanted to comfort himself and the flowers in the meadows he would weave into flower crowns on a cool spring day. He didn’t have his animal features showing, but Tooru felt that maybe this was on purpose. 

“Hello! I’m Sugawara Koushi! Everyone calls me Suga, or Dr. Suga if you’re getting treated,” Suga winks at him mischievously, and Tooru immediately knows he’s going to get along with this man. 

“Oikawa Tooru,” he feels his nervous heartbeat calm and his fingers stop trembling when Suga looks him over. 

“I have to go,” Kenma’s soft voice makes Tooru jump in surprise, having nearly forgotten the easily missable man was there,” But tell me how it goes?” The man looks at him, and Tooru knows he’s offering friendship. He also knows that this isn't something his does very often, or easily. Tooru gives him the sweetest, most genuine smile in his arsenal, the one he doesn’t like because his eyes crinkle too much, but he wants to show Kenma his sincerity. Kenma’s eyes widen a fraction, and he smiles back, ever so slightly before padding back the way they came. 

“Well, you’re quite the looker, aren’t ya?” Suga jokes, and Tooru finally notices his choice in clothing. It’s almost like something out of a movie; a rather tribal covering. The vibrant blues drape around his waist, held together by a belt made of silver. They’re also at home on his chest, covering his shoulders and exposing his midriff. Around his neck is a silver metal choker, with a sapphire set in the middle. 

“Says you,” Tooru finds himself teasing back, and Suga throws his head back in laughter.

“Oh wow, charming too,” he muses, grinning to himself and holding out a hand to Tooru,” Ready?” 

“Nope,” but Tooru takes the hand offered anyway while Suga shakes his head. 

  
  


“So that’s what they meant by ‘alpha and omega’,” Suga explains, feeling the notches along his spine,” How long did your initial change last?” 

“Around an hour,” Tooru hid the shivers that wracked up his spine from the coolness of Suga’s finger,” And that makes sense I guess. I’m probably going to have to spend a while getting used to the fact I’m able to give birth, but I mean.” He shrugs, and Suga nods sympathetically. 

“Not bad. You understand everything? Even heats?” Suga pressed his stethoscope in his ear and pressed the cold metal to his back; Tooru couldn’t suppress the shiver this time, and his tail jumps slightly. He nodded, grimacing slightly, both from the cold and embarrassment. 

“Hm,” Suga hums, writing something down on his clipboard,” Seems healthy. How long was the restlessness before that?” 

“Restlessness?” Tooru wondered, giving him a look of confusion. 

“Like, the wanting to go outside, feeling enclosed in your own skin, that sort of thing?” Suga asked, looking over his clipboard expectantly, tapping his pen on the metal part. 

Tooru blinked in uncertainty,” Uhm… all my life?” Suga blinked back at him. 

“Really?” he tilted his head slightly. Tooru nodded. He raised an eyebrow, but simply wrote it on his clipboard. 

“Okay, now for the embarrassing part,” Suga grimaced, setting his clipboard down and shuffling through the cupboard,” Are you a virgin?” 

Tooru choked on his own spit. 

  
  


“Okay, so I’m going to hand you off to Akaashi! He’ll get you settled! Oh, I bet everyone is excited! It’s not every day we get a new one!” Suga clasped his hands together, eyes crinkling in his own excitement; Tooru was reminded of a spring day, the hazel mixing the greenery, the trees, and the bright blue sky in a beautiful symphony of nature. He honestly wished he could have eyes they weren’t a boring brown. 

“Oh! That’s him! Akaashi!” Suga waved someone over, and Tooru’s eyes let the man’s features sink in; sunkissed skin, dark raven curls, sharp green-gray eyes that made him think of cement and sidewalks and dying grass in the dangerous part of town, where no one could find him, but no one could look out for him either. His scent was reminiscent of the park on a rainy day; the ground soft underneath the children’s swing set and the skies sweet anger rolling down his skin as he looked to the heavens to hide his tears. The wings that protrude from his back were a mixture of ebony, charcoal smoke, and patches of tawny that made him want to curl up and run;  _ predator! _ they screamed,  _ this one is dangerous. _

“Hello,” Akaashi smiled, soft yet sharp; waiting for an opportunity to sink in his teeth,” I’m Akaashi Keiji. Welcome to your new home. I have the perfect place for you to settle in.” 

_ After all, an owl is a bird of prey. _

  
  


“It’s small but cozy. It’s been empty for a few years, since the old woman who lived here moved in with her daughter’s family, and died a while ago. You can have it, but I hope you know you are expected to go to school. We have two colleges here; they’re not too big, but they’re rather nice. They offer different things, I’ll have someone who works here come down here in a week to get you started. For now, you can settle down,” Akaashi flicks on lights as he walks; smoothing wood shelves and opening curtains that show the inches of dust in each room. Tooru’s already itching to clean it; the dust settles on his skin in the wrong places, and the air is too thick with memories that aren’t his. They stop in the den, and the other omega hands him a map and a bag of coins.

“I know I pointed out the store already, but that’s in case you get lost. I’ll be here tomorrow to get you some clothes. As you can see, we kind of have a status quo outside the home?” Akaashi’s own attire consisted of stormy grays and muted greens; it was a sort of mint color that accented his narrowed eyes,” I’ll let you get settled for now. Someone will be over in an hour with blankets and such.” And with that, he left. Like the storm wind that blew him in, and left Tooru all alone again, basking in a home of an age long forgotten. 

  
  



	3. White Acacia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How the hell did you already do so much?” Hanamaki, right on cue walks into the kitchen and Tooru pops out from underneath the sink with a raised eyebrow, trying not squish his fluffy white appendage when he rolls out from the cabinet.
> 
> “It's called a hustle sweetheart,” he throws the rag in the sink, wiping off his hands and flicking the water in Hanamaki’s direction. The strawberry-blonde narrows his eyes at Tooru and the brunette grins mischievously before flicking him again.
> 
> “ Ooho,” Hanamaki shoves his own hands under the sink before turning it on, and Tooru bolts out the back door.

He cheered when he found the rags; tucked away in a closet, unused and grimy. The plumbing seemed to be in order ( _ how did they even have plumbing in a forest? And electricity? _ ) and he found a bucket to clean with. He opened all the windows and both doors, as well as the balcony windows upstairs. The whole home was tucked away on the side of another cliff, isolated from the tiny clusters of villages they’d passed on the way. He’d inspected the property and found the remnants of an old, yet beautiful garden with a large cherry tree at it center he couldn’t wait to revitalize; the weeds choking various herb and beautiful plants. 

He spent hours in the bedrooms alone, scrubbing at walls and floors and doors, unearthing beautiful wood and carved frames. Somewhere along the line, he had tucked and tied most of his curls away, frustrated with their bouncing playfulness as he tried to work but he couldn’t do anything about his tail, swishing about like it had a mind of its own. He threw out countless molded, moth-eaten, and nearly unidentifiable cloth. When he found the library in the back of the house and the apothecary in the basement, it almost felt like he intruding on a world that wasn’t his, but he wasn’t called stubborn for nothing. 

He would make it his. 

Most of the books were intact, and the maps on the walls were well preserved. He had to throw out the cushions on the wooden chair; they were rotting, but the chair itself was salvageable, as well as the beautiful oak desk that matched the bookshelves. He frowned when he found the jewelry in the secret compartment in the bottom drawer before setting it aside; he would have to find the family of the old woman and give that to them, as well as the diary in the top that he had to resist looking through. 

In the apothecary, he threw out all of the perishables, long since shriveled to dust, and distracted himself with plenty of books and field guides on herbs and remedies and alchemy. He had just finished scrubbing it out when there was a knock on the door, jolting him out of his sort of trance that was a mix between busying himself with menial tasks and lack of sleep. He set the bucket at the top of the stairs and plodded to the door, opening it hesitantly. 

This one was new; he had hair like the days Tooru would beg his sister for pocket change to watch the soft pink spheres of bubble gum roll out of the machine. His eyes reflect a brown like mocha and cinnamon, dancing under the soft waves of the evening light and evoked the memory of the days he would weed the earth in the garden when the sun came out to play with the moon; more mischievous than tidal waves could hope to be. In his arms, he held what seemed like miles of bedding, and after a moment of Tooru studying him, he flashed him an impish grin as he struggled to hold up the mass. 

“I was supposed to get help but they took too long and I was all ‘I am a strong independent omega, I don’t need anyone’s help’ and decided to do it on my own. Needless to say, I totally did not drop any of it and I don’t regret the decision for a split second,” he rambled as Tooru raised an eyebrow, fighting a smile himself,” But it would definitely be great if you could give me a hand. Not because I can’t do it or anything, just because… you know.” He tampered off lamely and Tooru grinned.

_ He’s my favorite _ , Tooru decided, swinging the door open and walking back inside in invitation. 

  
  


“Wow, I can’t wait to get my own house, you’re so lucky! My family is so annoying, and don’t even get me started on my little sister! She’s always bugging me,” Hanamaki Takahiro he was introduced as, quickly dubbed ‘Makki’ by Tooru’s quick tongue. He had shoved the bedding in the room Tooru had pointed out (although he was sure it was only temporary. The room didn’t feel right. It was unsettling) and started to have a little picnic in the dining room (the table had to be wiped down before Tooru would allow it), making himself at home. 

“I’m the baby, so I wouldn’t know,” Tooru learns to smile again, and his cheeks almost hurt from Hanamaki’s terrible jokes that are somehow funny anyway. 

Maybe he just wanted a friend. 

“Hey, so your new, and I want to get to you before someone else does, so do you want to be my friend? You don’t have to be crazy, we’ll train you!” Hanamaki’s eyes are begging him softly, and Tooru never learned how to say no to puppy eyes, being the beggar himself; so he says yes with a nod and a nervous swish of his tail, and he doesn’t forget the way Hanamaki lights up in excitement, tail wagging and talking all about himself and the things he enjoyed and hopes Tooru will too. When the time came for him to go home, Tooru watched him nearly drag himself out of the house, clearly not wanting leave. 

“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow! Get some sleep or whatever! You smell worn-out and look awful! I’ll come over tomorrow to help you with cleaning, okay?” Hanamaki threw him a worried look and Tooru smiled his best reassurance before he retreated into the waning night. 

Tooru didn’t get that much sleep that night. 

  
  


The morning came, and he was glad for it; the walls of the room prickled at him with prying eyes, the soft whispers of years past ringing in his ears. He finds himself in the living room, scrubbing yet again, ignoring his muscles protests. He finishes throwing out the rotting cloth furniture and rugs, and wipes down the grandfather clock, then cleans out the cupboard under the stairs (giving him serious Harry Potter vibes). After he’s done with that he moves onto the bathroom. The mold forces him to wrap his scarf - thank god his sister gave it to him, or this would much harder - around his face before he scrubs, wishing he had some bleach. After he’s done as much as he can without cleaning materials, he moves onto the kitchen. It’s about mid-afternoon when there’s a knock at the door and Tooru is on his knees under the sink, wiping away grime with a rag that’s basically in shreds. He doesn’t bother getting up, knowing that Hanamaki will invite himself in after a minute.

“How the hell did you already do so much?” Hanamaki, right on cue walks into the kitchen and Tooru pops out from underneath the sink with a raised eyebrow, trying not squish his fluffy white appendage when he rolls out from the cabinet. 

“It’s called a hustle sweetheart,” he throws the rag in the sink, wiping off his hands and flicking the water in Hanamaki’s direction. The strawberry-blonde narrows his eyes at Tooru and the brunette grins mischievously before flicking him again. 

“ _ Ooho _ ,” Hanamaki shoves his own hands under the sink before turning it on, and Tooru bolts out the back door. 

  
  


“I brought food,” Hanamaki sighs from his position in the pantry as he scrubs. Tooru looks up from where he’s scrubbing the sink with the cleaner Hanamaki brought. He had already finished the bathroom, and they planned on tackling the rest of the upper floor after they were finished with the kitchen. 

“You did?” Tooru looks at him like he announced that he could save his lover from certain death, ears perking and tail swishing in happiness as Hanamaki laughs, and it’s like a trickling stream after Tooru’s gone on for a walk next to the river. 

“Yeah, it’s just some trail mix, but I figured you wouldn’t have gone to the store yet,” Hanamaki peels himself from the floor and trods into the other room to grab his bag, and reenters, throwing Tooru a cloth bag. It takes Tooru all of two minutes to eat through the entire thing, and Hanamaki wordlessly hands him the rest of his, flicking him away when Toor’s tail and ears droop slightly in worry. 

They move back to their respective jobs, and it’s not long before they finish completely. The upstairs takes them about three hours to finish, most of the work lying in the bathroom, but easy enough when they tag teamed it. 

The best part of Tooru’s day is when Hanamaki finds the door to the attic. 

It’s old and dusty, and there is so much to organize and throw out, but it’s somewhere that has no memories. There’s nothing- it’s an empty slate, and all he has to do is pull out everything, and the seeing eyes are gone. 

It takes them hours of throwing things out, (Tooru donates a few paintings and a silver music box to an ecstatic Hanamaki) Tooru finds a wardrobe, a beautiful old typewriter, a writing desk, and a mural of the forest he puts in the living room before he gets his hands on a handsome leather trunk that has a brass lock on it. They lug it out into the yard and try to open it fruitlessly. He tries picking the lock, but the lock is so rusted, it refuses to budge.

“I have an idea,” Hanamaki’s eyes sparkle slightly, and Tooru finds his tail raising in alarm, slightly afraid the other omega is going to do something stupid,” I’ll be right back.” Tooru shrugs and plops on top of it, examining his yard with a frown. There’s a pile of trash on the end of it he has no idea what to do with and the tacky pile makes his ear twitch slightly in-

“Oikawa! I brought someone who can help!” Tooru looks up and  _ oh _ . He takes in miles of tanned caramel skin, raven spikes that somehow look softer than they first seem, and bright green eyes that make him think of emerald blades of grass that cradled him after he fell out of the tree when he was ten, of the scent of the softly sweet bamboo forests he found next to his grandmother’s summer home, of the soft ferns that tickled his face when he took shelter from the rain under a cedar tree, of the taste of cool mint from his mother’s garden on a sweltering summer night, of hours rustling through clover fields, ignoring the wind roaring in his ears in search of that lucky four-leaf. His scent was a mix between a undertone of cinnamon that gave him flashbacks of the bookstore on the main street that always had a candle of it burning, and a sweet and sour citrus that made him think of the fruit aisle at the grocery store as he hummed to his favorite song and smiled at the little girl giggling to her mother. 

“Are you… alright?” Tooru blinks out of his examination at the man’s question, and decides that this one isn’t as bad as some of the other whiffs of alphas he’s gotten; in fact, the scent was rather nice. 

“No, I’m Oikawa Tooru,” he grins standing up to brush his jeans off, making sure his tail doesn’t give him away,” But you didn’t know that, so I’ll let it slide!” Hanamaki starts to guffaw, and the alpha’s face morphs from confusion to irritation faster than Tooru can breathe. It’s almost impressive. 

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” he grits out begrudgingly, holding out a hand,” I really hope you aren’t another Takahiro or Issei, because I’ve already got too much on my hands.” 

“You won’t have any problems with me, I assure you!” Tooru grabs his hands, shaking it firmly before letting go and gesturing to the current problem,” I was told Makki-chan could bring me a solution.” Tooru looks at him expectantly, and Iwaizumi looks like he’s having a hard time focusing on something.

“Uh, rusted lock, right? Do you mind if I break it?” the raven asks giving the chest a glance over. Tooru shakes his head and steps back, pushing Hanamaki away slightly. Iwa pulls a hammer out a tool belt Tooru is just now noticing and aims a hit at the bolt. It takes him three tries, and Tooru pointedly looks away from the very nice arms he’s sporting. 

“Okay, all done,” Iwaizumi ( _ Iwa-chan,  _ his mind supplies) replaces the hammer and brushes off his hands,” I can have my dad remake the lock if you want, but it’ll take a minute. Orders are stocking up like crazy because it’s almost hunting season. Do you need any help with that? I can take it somewhere to be reused.” Iwaizumi nods at the pile of things he has no use for, and Tooru feels slightly overwhelmed. 

“Uhm please, yes, and thank you so much,” Tooru raises a hand to his temple, and for a moment his lack of sleep is catching up with him. 

“Whoa, hey you’re swaying a little there, are you okay?” Tooru looks up to a worried Iwaizumi ( _ why is he worried, I’ve known him for like, all of two minutes _ ) and he feels a touch on his back and Hanamaki is gazing down at him with concern. He immediately feels guilty and dresses his fatigue with a bright smile. 

“I’m perfectly fine!” he assures them, nudging Hanamaki softy on the chest,” Just a little overwhelmed. I have a lot to get used to, you know!” 

“... If you say so,” Iwaizumi shrugs and begins to pick his way back into the foliage, Tooru’s eyes trained after him. 

“Handsome isn’t he?” Hanamaki teased, wrapping an arm around Tooru’s shoulders. 

“He reminds me of my childhood,” Tooru remarks softly, before pulling away to walk inside, leaving a confused Hanamaki behind. 

  
  


It takes a few more hours, but the attic is cleared out, scrubbed, and outfitted. The bedding is moved into the room, the wardrobe, the desk, and the typewriter stay in the room. Tooru also manages to move a bookcase into the room and unloads his things from his parents' house onto it, his books all along the top shelf, arranged by feeling because the books should get to decide where they go; the rest go to rest on the bottom shelf. Except for Mr.Snuggles. He goes on the futon because he’s special. Hanamaki doesn’t laugh when he sees the stuffed rabbit, even going as far to confess he had a stuffed bear he kept with him at home. In fact, he seemed more interested in his astronomy book than anything. 

“You like this kind of stuff?” the omega asks, flipping it open to a random page ( _ 64, Constellation Cassiopeia, and Ancient Greek/Ethiopian Queen _ ) and Tooru plops down next to him, resting a head on the man’s shoulder and wrapping their fox tails together; and for once, he’s kind of glad someone is taller than him. 

“I love it,” Tooru smiles slowly, fingertips trailing over the dog-eared, well-loved pages softly,” The stories behind the stars fascinate me. The science part just amplifies my passion you know? And with each new story, each new explanation, my love for the sky only grows.” 

“It’s kind of like my art,” Hanamaki’s head tilts, considering,” With each stroke, each new creation, that fire burns just a little brighter. I’m going to be the first paid artist in the whole shifter community.” Hanamaki’s chest swirls with pride and Tooru smiles into his pastel yellow wrap that he wears.

“I’ll support you every step of the way.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter:
> 
> Toru goes to the village and gets a welcome surprise.


	4. Hydrangea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“No, no- yeah there, that’s perfect,” it seemed it was Hanamaki but who was he talking to? Tooru tilted his head, listening._
> 
> _“It looked like it was already straight to me, but whatever,” said another voice, (male, young) one Tooru had never heard before._
> 
> _“Leave him alone, he wants it to be perfect,” said another familiar voice and there were the sound of footsteps across the top floor. Tooru made his way up quietly, as a result of a lifetime of silent habits. He even managed to get up the stairs with all three people none the wiser._
> 
> _Then he saw the room._

Hanamaki convinces Tooru to go to the seamstress to get some proper clothes, and the grocery store to stock up on food. He also says he can’t join him, regrettably. Grumbling, he somehow makes his way down to the center village, which is less of a village and more like a city. There's a library, a town hall, the hospital is not too far, but out of the way enough so neither’s traffic is impeded. There are shops and restaurants, and music, and games, and he feels slightly overwhelmed. He knows people are staring at him, probably because his clothing sticks out like a sore thumb, and he’s suddenly both pissed and glad Hanamaki told him to go to the seamstress. He stumbles on the shop out of sheer luck (he made like four wrong turns, that much he’s sure of.) The map didn’t help; he’s never been one to follow the lines. He steps into the shop hesitantly and his eyesight is filled with millions of colors and textures.

He’s too tired to be this overwhelmed.

“Can I- oh! You’re the new meat!” A young girl, thirteen or fourteen grins at him, wolf ears twitching excitement, and he’s reminded of another smile, another face, similar to this one. Before he can figure it out the girl opens her mouth.

“MOM! YOU HAVE A NEW CUSTOMER!” She screams, disappearing into the back with a little stomp in her feet. He hears a squeal, and someone rushes through the door.

“Oh my,” Tooru blinks, and suddenly he realizes why the little girl was so familiar; this woman was the spitting image of Iwaizumi. Or rather, he was the spitting image of her. The difference was that her scent reminded him more of his mothers vanilla candles on winter nights indoors curled by the fire and soft cinnamon sticks that his sister would put in her coconut drinks.

“Hello! I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to come here, I’ve been waiting! I’m Iwaizumi Mayumi! You can call me Mayu, everyone does!” The woman enthusiastically shakes his hands, beaming at him.

“Your son looks just like you,” Tooru finds himself saying, and Mayu beams, letting go of his hand.

“You’ve met Hajime already? Was he nice? I’ll have a word with him if he wasn’t. He’s so brutish sometimes, he’s far too much like his father,” Mayu sighs, pressing a hand to her cheek and frowning.

“He was very sweet,” Tooru’s mouth curls into a sweet smile,” He helped me with a few tasks I was having trouble with.” Mayu only stares at him, and Tooru smiles drops slightly.

“Is something wrong?” he curls a piece of hair behind his ear hesitantly.

“You are gorgeous," Mayu says breathlessly, beginning to chew on her thumbnail,” You’d look wonderful in plenty of patterns and colors, oh, I don’t know where to begin!”

“I’d suggest red,” Tooru says offhandedly, eyeing a rack of yellow wraps,” Maybe a scarlet or ruby? Or a blue, probably sapphire, my skin tone leans more towards richer spring colors, although I don’t look too terrible in summer neons either, I’m pretty versatile. Ooh, this pink is nice.” Tooru looks through another rack, pointing out his various observations. Mayu looks like she’s taking all of this into account.

“I agree,” she nods very seriously (it’s almost cute, with her small stature), crossing her arms,” I think I’ll start with red! I know just the thing, stay here!” Tooru nods, mouth trying not to twitch into a smile.

  


By the time he’s done, Mayu has saddled him several sets of clothing; she made sure he had four for everyday wear and one formal wear for festivals and events. His first common wear includes two-piece solid scarlet red set - the skirt slits to show his calf and swishes around his ankles when he walks, and the top has sleeves that drape to the sides and show off his shoulders. His second is a sapphire blue similar to flowing water that had a small train; this is closer to what Hanamaki would wear, a two-piece that draped over one shoulder and left the other bare, and an under top, leaving the barest hint of his hip bare. It rippled smoothly when he walked in it, and Mayu wouldn’t stop cooing over how graceful he looked.

The third was a burgundy wine; a one piece that fit him like a glove, although a slight adjustment had to made for his tail. It had a turtleneck and sleeves that could be disconnected by the buckles attached to the fabric, and it’s skirt barely grazed the floor. The fourth was actually a lavender he hadn’t been sure about until Mayu got him to try it on. Its skirt was composed of gossamer fabric and silk underlayers with a silver belt made of fabric flowers. The top didn’t form fit him like the other; rather, it flowed down in three layers of ruffles and almost touched his belly button. The sleeves were two fingers wide with gossamer fabric reaching to his elbows and silver flowers decorating them sparsely.

The fifth was his favorite. It was a galaxy patterned (Tooru had no idea how she managed that, nor how she knew he’d love it) one piece with an open back that ended at his waistline, and a turtleneck with a cloak attached to his shoulders that swished a swirled and made him feel like he was a part of the universe. It had a long train (she seemed fond of putting him in longer skirts, claiming they highlighted his long legs) and ultimately, the entire getup made him feel like the queen of the universe or something. When he stepped out of the dressing room, the girl helping (her daughter Yue) squealed, and Mayu herself could hardly contain herself.

“You look like, existence!” Mayu fiddled with the fabric of the cloak, eyes wide with wonder,” I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun dressing someone up before! You look good in everything I put you in!” Tooru laughed and tried to play it off, but his tail betrayed him by swishing back and forth happily.

“Mama!” Yue complained, tugging at the woman’s sleeve,” You’re embarrassing him!”

“Why should he be embarrassed by his beauty?” Mayu huffed, carefully folding the clothes into a bag (leaving out the scarlet one, which they decided he would walk home in),” Why, if I were as pretty as you, I would never stop bragging about it!” Tooru started for a second, realizing something.

“Then I suppose you already do,” Tooru frowned, ears moved forward and tail swishing slightly,” I mean, you’re just about the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen - I was floored when I first saw you, to be honest. I’d give anything to look like you!” Mayu blinked at him, pressing a hand to her heart.

“You are just about the sweetest man I’ve ever met,” Mayu says fiercely, pinching his cheek slightly,” My children could do to learn a thing or two from you!”

“I was just speaking the truth ma’am,” Tooru laughed anxiously, and Mayu patted him where she had pinched him.

“Well, I agree! Mom’s like, the prettiest!” Yue says proudly, her hands on her hips. Tooru walks into the dressing room to change into the first set.

“Wouldn’t you know? You look just like her,” Tooru says, and by the way it falls silent he knows he’s been heard, but he chooses to ignore it. Once he’s done and walks out, Yue looks a bit flustered, and Mayu is only beaming.

When Tooru goes to ring up, Mayu means over the counter,” She really needed to hear that, she’s been having body image issues lately.” Tooru smiled and shook his head.

“Only telling the truth ma’am.”

  


Tooru stops by the market on the way home, a quaint thing that makes his lips turn up when he sees all the children underfoot. He makes a beeline for the fruit stand, picking out some choice ones for the pie he has a sudden craving for.

“That’ll be four crills,” the tiny shop woman murmurs and _is it just Tooru’s imagination, or is he getting stared at even more than before?_ He pays for his purchases, he quickly makes his way through the market, eager to get home. Just when he’s finished his shopping, a familiar voice calls out to him.

“Oikawa!” he whirls around to find Suga waving with a grin at him, with a man at his side. Tooru studies him for a moment, taking in skin a few shades past sunkissed, molten dark brown eyes that have him thinking of the time he went down to the club on the bad part of town and lied about his age to get in; the club bouncer had eyes like that. They saw right through him, almost like a father looking down at a child. His scent was similar to the cedar trees they stopped planting a few years back, and unlocked a memory of him climbing one after his sister dared him not to when he was ten and fresh paint, like when they moved across the street right after theirs burnt down in a fire. He had wings of onyx, like the inky blackness of the sky when the clouds roll over around midnight and there’s no moon, so he has nothing to light his way.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sawamura Daichi, but please call me Daichi - Sawamura is my father,” the man nodded to Tooru, and for some odd reason, the omega felt like it wasn’t a good idea to try and shake the man’s hand. So he didn’t.

“Oikawa Tooru,” he dipped his head shortly in response and turned to Suga, who was watching him carefully,” What are you guys up to?” It seems he passed a test of some sort because the smile was back on Suga’s face at full force.

“Nothing much!” he chirped, twining his fingers with Daichi’s ( _ah, so he’s possessive_ ) and leaning on the stocky man,” We’re actually about to go get dinner! You want to come with?”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Tooru gestured at their closeness casually and Suga shook his head.

“No, it’s fine! Right, Dai? Plus I want to know how it’s going!” Suga looked excited, but there was a glimmer of something under his initial look, almost… ddesperation?Tooru narrowed his eyes to examine the spark further, but it went away.

“Okay…” Tooru hesitated for a moment, but took Suga offered hand, and found himself being pulled away.

  


“Aw, Hanamaki’s such a sweetheart!” Suga gushed, stirring the pot he was making curry in; there were two pots because apparently, Suga’s tastes were far too spicy for any other mortal,” I can’t believe that! He hates cleaning! His mom probably gave him a ‘ _what the fuck’_ look when he asked for stuff to clean with.”

“He mentioned that actually,” Tooru laughed spooning out the rice as Daichi looked for an extra spoon,” Honesty I’m surprised he didn’t drop everything he was doing to go with me find clothes.”

“You can bet he’s going to get you to model them all,” Suga joked, pulling both pots off the heat and onto the table. Tooru laughed to himself, shaking his head.

“Thank you guys for inviting me by the way,” Tooru gave Suga a grateful look as they sat down (Tooru had to pull his tail out of the way, these chairs were _not_ tail friendly) and Daichi handed him the spoon,” It means a lot.”

“No problem!” Suga perfectly dished out the curry without looking down with a large smile, and Tooru had a feeling he’d make a wonderful mother,” Anything for a friend!”

“Suga darling, don’t spill,” Daichi frowned at the silvery-blonde and Tooru rolled his eyes in-sync with Suga.

_Alphas._

  


“Oh my, it’s late! I’m so sorry for keeping you so long!” Suga frowned at the sky as if it had done him a personal injustice, and Tooru shook his head and curled his lips upward slightly.

“It’s fine,” he told him, slipping on his shoes (he had silver and gold sandals, as well as a pair of dark brown boots donated by Mayu) and hugging the older omega,” I like walking home under the cover of darkness. It makes me feel safer somehow.”

“Are you sure you don’t want Daichi to walk you home? Or I could call someone else?” Suga wrung his hands worriedly, looking into Tooru’s face for any sign of fear. Tooru shook his head and started on his way home, waving at the couple on the doorstep.

  


When he got there, something was different. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but the atmosphere had changed somehow. He looked around, but his yard was the same as he’d left, save for a few spare wood shavings. He frowned at them, but turned a blind eye and opened his door cautiously. He perked his ears up and raised his tail in caution, and he caught the sound of voices above him.

“No, no- yeah there, that’s perfect,” it seemed it was Hanamaki but who was he talking to? Tooru tilted his head, listening.

“It looked like it was already straight to me, but whatever,” said another voice, (male, young) one Tooru had never heard before.

“Leave him alone, he wants it to be perfect,” said another familiar voice and there were the sound of footsteps across the top floor. Tooru made his way up quietly, as a result of a lifetime of silent habits. He even managed to get up the stairs with all three people none the wiser.

Then he saw the room.

The roof had been replaced with panes of clear glass, showing the stars above. The walls had been painted murals that were not unlike the swirls of stars and galaxies across the expanse of his formal dress; the only difference was the colors. There were so many colors. Blues, greens, pinks, purples, the very sight of it made his eye tear up uncontrollably. The windows had been draped in white cloth, giving it an airy touch. He could only stand there and stare, tears falling down his cheeks.

“Holy shit!” Iwaizumi shouted, jumping half a foot in the air and instinctively backing up,” When did you get there?” Tooru shook his head, silently gliding through the room, fingertips hovering over swirling galaxies, and eyes trained on the expanse of the night sky.

“Oikawa, are you okay?” Hanamaki was hesitant, reaching out for him but unsure if he would be okay with that. Tooru walked over and hugged him fiercely, shoulders shaking with his hiccups.

“Tooru.” He pulled away, cupping Hanamaki’s face in his hands and pressing their foreheads together gently, tail swishing to meet the other omega’s.

“My name is Tooru.”

  



	5. Holly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Uhm, alright then. So the first thing I need is for you to fill out this paperwork…” Kuroo pulls out a tablet and chuckles at Tooru’s questioning look, sliding it over,” We’re in the middle of changing to digital, because it conserves paper, and we're all about forest conservation and recycling and whatnot. Iwa over there was the one who pushed for it, actually.” Kuroo gives a tiny nod in Iwaizumi’s direction, and the alpha huffs, looking away as if he was saying ‘It was no big deal’ but it actually was and he wanted to be praised._
> 
> _“Good Iwa-chan,” Tooru scratched at the fur around his neck, and Iwaizumi made a yip of happiness, wagging his tail so furiously it beat the floor. When Tooru tried to pull away, he pushed his head against the brunette looking for more pets._
> 
> _“Okay, okay, I have to do this silly,” Tooru laughed, pushing Iwaizumi’s muzzle away slightly before focusing on the tablet. Iwaizumi growls -for some odd reason- at Kuroo in annoyance, as if it’s all his fault Tooru won’t pet him anymore. ___

  
  


“You know, I feel like we’re intruding on something. Any thoughts, Iwa?” Tooru glanced over to the raven in the corner, absorbing hair curled into a mussed, just-rolled-out-of-bed fashion, sleep-laden eyes the color of the wet bark he once tried to use to light his way through a dark cavern after narrowly escaping a downpour. His scent was reminiscent of the earth just after it rains, like the time when he was seven and wandered into the forest for the first time; his first taste of freedom. It had hints of honey, reminding him of the mischievous little black bear cub he once crossed paths with; that had been an interesting afternoon, as he spent most of it helping the baby animal gather honey from a beehive several feet above them. The occuring taste had been worth the stings. The alpha had a pair of sleek jet black ears and a tail; similar to a wolf, but not quite.  _ Coyote _ , his mind supplied. 

“Uhm, earth to Oikawa Tooru, do you copy?” Hanamaki waved a hand in front of his face and Tooru startled out of his trance, blinking away the fresh onslaught of memories. 

“Yes Houston, this is Oikawa Tooru, returning from the landing, over,” he joked, tweaking the taller omega’s nose. Hanamaki shook his head, fighting a smile. 

“This is Matsukawa Issei,” Hanamaki gave him  _ the look _ , and Oikawa tried to control the widening of his eyes and the excited swish of his tail.  _ So this is Makki’s crush! _

“Hello! I suppose you had a hand in all of  _ this _ ,” he gestured to the room when he stressed the word, taking absolute care to give no signs of submission in his pose. 

He didn’t intend to be easy. 

“I suppose I did,” Matsukawa merely looked amused, and slightly bored. But on closer inspection, his eyes flitted too much to the left, and his lips looked swollen and cracked from biting.  _ He’s nervous. Good. _ Tooru let him get away for a moment and removed his observant gaze from the taller man, turning away towards the last person in the room; Iwaizumi ( _ stop calling him Iwa-chan before you actually say it out loud, dammit _ ) met his gaze head-on, arms crossed. Tooru took a different approach, putting his on his hips and jutting it to the right just so. 

“You know, I have no idea what I’m going to do with you. How am I supposed to pay you back for helping me if you keeping doing things like this? You give me a headache! Now stay for dinner, I have plans now,” he huffed a little and stomped his feet for effect.  _ I always did have a flair for the dramatics. _

“What, no thank you?” Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow slightly, and there’s a shadow of a teasing smile to his frown. Tooru crosses his arms, considering, then darts forward to give a peck on the cheek before rushing downstairs. He hears Hanamaki scream after him, and he doesn’t want to know what kind of chaos he just unleashed onto his bedroom. 

He does regret not being able to see Iwaizumi’s face, however.

  
  


“Okay, so after I  _ spear _ the guy, he just goes, ‘do you want this back, or?’ and I swear to the stars, I have never been so done with people in my entire life!”  Iwaizumi’s hands are flying around, and the pillow he has in his hands flies out, knocking Matsukawa in the head, who jumps about a foot up from his comfortable sleeping position, eyes wide as saucers, looking all for the world like a startled cat. _ Or coyote. Whatever.  _ Hanamaki busts out laughing, and Tooru and Iwaizumi are soon to follow. 

“What the fuck! I am so tired you have no idea!” Matsukawa threw the pillow back at Iwaizumi, and it bounced off his arm harmlessly. 

“Oh, please you have no idea what tired is,” Tooru grumbled, leaning back into Hanamaki’s shoulder, blinking his own exhaustion away. 

“You told me you would sleep,” Hanamaki frowns, looking down at him best he can in the position. Tooru feels a stab of guilt and buries his face in the strawberry-blonde man’s neck. 

“I  _ tried _ , I just couldn’t sleep there, that’s all,” Tooru tried to stop the tired purr from climbing it way up his throat when Hanamaki began to card his finger through the brunette’s hair. 

“Do you want me to stay here tonight?” Hanamaki ceased his ministrations for a moment, tilting his head thoughtfully, giving Tooru more room on his shoulder,” I don’t mind. And I’m worried about you.” 

“Will you?” Tooru looked up, widening his chocolate orbs in hope, fully aware they were watering slightly. 

“You are  _ way _ too good at puppy eyes,” Hanamaki laughed, continuing his mindless petting and glancing over to give Matsukawa a look. The large raven alpha had shifted into his coyote form and curled next to both omegas, searching for warmth. Tooru only hummed in response, nuzzling Hanamaki’s neck in comfort. 

“We’re not leaving tonight, are we?” Iwaizumi gave them an resigned look, but the eye bags under his own eye spoke of the alpha’s own exhaustion. Tooru felt Hanamaki shrug, and replace the hand he had been petting him with around the brunette’s waist, and he closed his eyes.

“Dude, they can survive without you for one night. You’re just as tired as we are right now,” Hanamaki sounded slightly irritated, although he took great care to try not to disturb Tooru or Matsukawa.  _ They sound as if they’ve had this argument more than once. _

“But-”

“Join the cuddle pile Iwa.” 

“... Fine.” 

The last thing Tooru heard and felt as he fell into another world was the clack of claws on the hardwood and soft fur on his lap. 

  
  


_ Rap Rap Rap.  _ Tooru blinked his eyes open to soft knocking on his front door. He glanced at the sky and saw the sun peeking through heavy purple curtains Tooru had deemed to be fine to keep. He looked around disorientedly, trying to regain his bearings. He took in a very deep sleeping Iwaizumi in wolf form sprawled across his lap, starkly onyx fur gleaming under the weak morning light, unruly yet soft to the touch, tempting Tooru into running his fingers through it. He sighed softly at the silkiness but was startled out of his petting by another set of soft rapping on the door. 

He groaned and wiggled away from Hanamaki’s iron cast grip, careful maneuvering his foot from Matsukawa’s jaw (he didn’t want to know how that happened, he’s just glad that the alpha didn’t start chewing on it) and out from under Iwaizumi’s heavy shape. The alpha was the largest in their shifter forms, the huge mass of him nearly as large as Tooru in his human body. He slipped away and trudged towards the door, swinging it open just as the offending hand was reaching up to knock once more. 

Brown eyes met a familiar gold, and Tooru blinked in surprise. 

“Kuro?” Tooru dipped his head to the side in confusion. The alpha’s horrible hair rustled slightly when he tipped his head back to laugh. 

“Oh man, the look on your face is priceless. Oh, and it’s Kuroo, by the way. Kuroo Tetsurou. Only Kenma calls me Kuro.” He leans on the doorframe almost casually, sticking his hands in his pockets as he mulls over what he wants to say next. 

“So, I’m the guy that sent over to get you integrated into the college. Suga informed me you finished high school...?” the question trailed off as Kuroo looked at Tooru questioningly to make sure the given information was accurate. He nodded and opened the door a little more to invite the man in. 

“I’ve brought the necessary stuff, and I soon as I get you processed, which will only take a couple of days, you should be okay to start. My parents run both colleges, so I’m kind of the go-to guy for anything to do with the schools. Ask me if you have any questions, okay?” Tooru picked his way through the house in complete silence, listening to the older man rant in a whisper (thank god he could tell he was supposed to be quiet) and ushered him into the kitchen. 

“I have to take care of something, I’ll be right back, but help yourself to any fruit in the kitchen. I’ll put on some tea in a moment,” Tooru gestures to the table and the fruit in the basket in the middle before slipping away back into the den. Iwaizumi is awake, blinking at him in wolf form tiredly, but somehow alert. 

“Ah, it’s just Kuroo,” Tooru somehow realizes he’s awake because of the unfamiliar presence in the kitchen,” He’s here to get my schooling situated.” Iwaizumi gives a tiny borf of irritation -  _ cute _ , Tooru thinks - and his claws clack on the hardwood as he trods over to Tooru, giving him a sniff and nosing the door, clearly waiting for him to open it. Tooru does so, smiling slightly. 

“You know, you look grumpy even in this form. Your face is gonna get stuck like that, and I’m going to laugh at you,” Tooru bumps into the alpha’s frame (who’s back is even in height with his hip like, holy shit he’s huge) and Iwaizumi gives him a tiny growl. Tooru rolls his eyes and flicks his tail into the raven’s eyes in retaliation, knowing he doesn’t really mean anything by it. They stroll into the kitchen, Iwaizumi following him the entire way and giving Kuroo the side eye (meanwhile the aforementioned alpha looks like a mix between shocked and confused) while Tooru hums as he starts the tea. 

“Okay, now I’m ready!” Tooru plops down across from Kuroo at the table, and Iwaizumi makes himself comfortable, curling around the omega, settling his head in Tooru’s lap, and tucking his paws under himself. Kuroo still looks completely lost but chooses not to comment.

“Uhm, alright then. So the first thing I need is for you to fill out this paperwork…” Kuroo pulls out a tablet and chuckles at Tooru’s questioning look, sliding it over,” We’re in the middle of changing to digital, because it conserves paper, and we're all about forest conservation and recycling and whatnot. Iwa over there was the one who pushed for it, actually.” Kuroo gives a tiny nod in Iwaizumi’s direction, and the alpha huffs, looking away as if he was saying ‘ _ It was no big deal’  _ but it actually was and he wanted to be praised. 

“Good Iwa-chan,” Tooru scratched at the fur around his neck, and Iwaizumi made a yip of happiness, wagging his tail so furiously it beat the floor. When Tooru tried to pull away, he pushed his head against the brunette looking for more pets. 

“Okay, okay, I have to do this silly,” Tooru laughed, pushing Iwaizumi’s muzzle away slightly before focusing on the tablet. Iwaizumi growls -for some odd reason- at Kuroo in annoyance, as if it’s all his fault Tooru won’t pet him anymore. Tooru enters his information, or as much as he can remember (he forgot his important documents at his house, he’ll have to get his sister to mail them to him) and he’s almost done when the door swings open and Hanamaki roams into the room, Matsukawa padding at his heels. Tooru looks up at the other omega just as Hanamaki zeros in on him and walks over, plopping down behind him and wrapping himself like a starfish around Tooru. His arms are around Tooru’s waist, and legs on either side, head resting on his shoulder so his back is hunched. Iwaizumi has to shift slightly to accommodate the new addition, and Matsukawa makes himself at home on Tooru’s lap as well, mirroring Iwaizumi’s position on the opposite side. It feels so natural to Tooru he simply goes back to the tablet, finishing off the forms and ignoring a very startled Kuroo. 

“Okay, that’s all I know for now,” Tooru pushes the tablet back over and looks at Kuroo expectantly and it takes a second for the messy raven to respond. 

“Uh, yeah. Yeah. So that’s a thing,” he mutters to himself, tapping furiously on the screen,” So what would you say your key interests are?” 

“Astronomy and Aeronautics,” Tooru says without any hesitation, resting his head on Hanamaki’s and scratching both alphas on his lap behind the ears,” Probably a Minor in English Literature. Oh, and do you guys offer extra-curricular theatre? I’ve always wanted to participate in that!” 

“We do! But as for the rest, we don’t have aeronautics program  _ but _ I could hook you up in astronomy! I fact, it leads to a very useful job here! We even have an observatory! I could introduce you to the old man that runs it—Doctor Irihata?” Kuroo seems to be finished giving the group odd looks, slipping into a business-like demeanor. 

“ _ The _ Doctor Irihata?” Tooru perks up, eyes shining and making Hanamaki start slightly,” You mean the man who wrote the series of research papers on anti-matter and made groundbreaking discoveries in astronomical theory?” 

“The very same! Interested?” Kuroo’s tail flicked in amusement as he regarded Tooru with a small smirk. 

“Am I  _ interested _ ? Hell yes! To be able to work with  _ the  _ Doctor Irihata! A dream!” Tooru’s nipped slightly by Matsukawa when he begins to squirm too much in his excitement, and Hanamaki gives a breathy laugh.

“I met the dude once. He’s pretty old, even by our standards. He’s always up in that tower of his, working on some project or another,” Hanamaki peeks out from Tooru’s neck for a second to relay the information before burrowing right back in with a little yawn. Iwaizumi snorts in agreement, and Kuroo shrugs.

“He’s pretty introverted. But he’s been looking for an intern for a while now. Like Hanamaki-san said, he’s getting pretty old. He needs some help,” Kuroo flicked and tapped at the screen,” Okay, so these are the courses you’ll need to take. The semester just started, and the professors will make an exception for you—they know the drill…”

  
  


It takes another forty-five minutes to get Tooru implemented in the system, and he’s set to start that Wednesday. 

“Alright, so I’ll see you then,” Kuroo almost reaches out to shake his hand but all three of the shifters surrounding him tense -both alphas growling slightly and Hanamaki tucking Tooru closer to himself protectively- so he quickly put the hand down. 

“I’ll think I’ll go now, Kenma’s probably looking for me by now, actually,” Kuroo begins to pack his things away and stand up, and Iwaizumi stretches his muscles out, clawing at the floor before following; obviously intending to follow him to the door. 

“Ah, that reminds me! Suga told me Kenma likes pie, so there are a few slices left of the one I made yesterday! Feel free to take it to him!” Tooru pulls himself up as well, wandering towards the bathroom with Hanamaki in tow. He hears Kuroo say something to Iwaizumi, but he couldn’t hear it so he resolves to ask the alpha about it later. 

  
  


He pulls Hanamaki into the bathroom for a shower, washing the other thoroughly. Hanamaki hums happily at the attention, tail swishing in the way and making Tooru almost trip twice. When he washes his hair, he has to make sure to be careful around his ears, but other than that it’s easy work. He rinses the omega off and sends him to soak in the water while he washes himself. 

“You know,” Hanamaki says, twirling his fingers lazily in the water as he watches Tooru rinse himself off,” I now feel oddly attached to you guys. Like, even before when I was around them it didn’t feel like this. I mean sure, I had a crush on Mattsun, but after you came… something changed.” 

“Huh,” Tooru hums thoughtfully, slipping into the water next across from him - thank god it’s a big tub - and leaning on the wall,” I wonder why.”

“Who knows,” Hanamaki shrugged, relaxing into the water as well,” But… I like it.” 

“Good,” Tooru smiles at him. There’s a moment of silence before Tooru gets a faceful of water.

“ _ MAKKI OH MY STARS I’M GOING TO KILL YOU _ —”

  
  


When they calm down from the water fight and dry off, Iwaizumi has made himself a place next to the door, and his head picks up when both omega’s walk out. 

“Oh, are you waiting to take a bath? Sorry we took so long, Hanamaki started splashing me,” Tooru shot the taller omega a glare, and Hanamaki laughed.

“You splashed me back!” 

“Well of course!”

“Hypocrite.”

“Love you too.”

Iwaizumi barked, bringing back their attention. 

“Oh! Go in, I’ll close the door behind you. Be careful, it’s slippery! I’ll have to dry it up later,” Tooru remarks to himself, holding the door open for Iwaizumi. The alpha slips in, and he closes it shut, and makes his way upstairs. 

“When you two are done, I have eggs and toast in the kitchen! It’s the only thing I know how to make!” Matsukawa shouts from the dining room and Tooru shakes his head in amusement at Hanamaki, who snorts in understanding. 

“Alright, be there in a second!” Tooru shouts back and shuts the door behind him to change into something new. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped you like what I have so far! Like I said, I'm very proud of it. Ari, I hope you do too! I have a lot in store!
> 
> Link to my tumblr:  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/typhemoonrise
> 
> Link to Ari's tumblr:  
> https://blackroses-violetviolets.tumblr.com


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